· 1 min read
Forgotten Fiber
By Melissa Colborne, Registered Dietitian
Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that cannot be digested by the body but is broken down in the large intestine to provide energy to our cells. Fibre is found in whole-grains, fruit & veg, legumes, nuts & seeds. Fiber plays an important role in our health but is so often forgotten in our diets!
Here are a few benefits of including adequate fiber in your diet:
- Feel fuller for longer
- Keeps our digestion happy
- Can help with weight management
- Is linked to a lower risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes & some cancers
- Can help lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol
- Keeps gut healthy by feeding good bacteria
How much do we need?
The recommendation is 25 - 30g/ day. Food considered to be high in fiber if it has more than 6g of fiber per 100g.
My top 3 tips to increasing your fibre intake:
- Choose whole-grain options such as whole-wheat or brown bread, rice, & cereals (oats, Weetabix, all-bran)
- Eat at least 5 fruit and vegetable portions daily
- Include a wide variety of legumes such as beans, peas, lentils and soya
What does 25 - 30g of fiber look like?
BREAKFAST
- 1/2 Cup Oats
- Banana
- 1 tsp Chia seeds
- 2tsp peanut butter
TOTAL: 7.5g
LUNCH
- 2 slices brown bread
- Tuna
- 1/4 Avocado
TOTAL: 9.3g
DINNER
- 1/2 Cup brown rice
- 1 cup broccoli
- 1 Cup butternut
- Chicken breast
TOTAL: 6.1g
SNACKS
- Pear
- Handful almonds
- 4 provita
- Hummus
TOTAL: 7g
TOTAL: 30g
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